THE way England went about beating ­Australia is merely the ­continuation of a process ­already begun and which had better carry on against Samoa at Twickenham today.

This is the nub of the England coaches’ riposte to their own team’s sword-thrust against the Wallabies – that it was “not a miraculous dawn”, as Brian Smith put it, nor meant anything much if not backed up from one week to the next.

So the profound satisfaction attack coach Smith, no less than Martin Johnson, John Wells and Mike Ford, derived from putting right what went marginally awry in defeat by New Zealand, has been carefully masked.

On the other hand, and however long it may have taken, the England management have pulled off a coup by combining the incisive opportunism of Ben Youngs, Chris Ashton and others with a battering ram driving through the centre. In fact, they would doubtless argue the one cannot go without the other, not when opposing midfields can deploy the physical threat of a Sonny Bill Williams or indeed Samoa’s London Irish star Seilala Mapusua.

This is the context that explains the selection at inside-centre of a Shontayne Hape over an Olly Barkley and, though there is vastly more to his rugby than mindless bludgeon, a Mike Tindall over a Mathew Tait.

Tindall himself received a beating by the rather less powerful Australian midfield, which has brought Johnson and his cohorts to the 6ft 7in Matt Banahan, whose prodigious dimensions outweigh his inexperience as an inside- centre.

Bath tried wing Banahan in midfield once last season but have given him four goes at it this term.

Only one of those was in partnership with Hape, and that was on the first weekend of the season at Leeds. So no one should pretend other than that Banahan will be learning his new trade on the job after five caps on the wing.

Although Banahan is built more like Jonah Lomu, his role model in this is the old All Black captain Tana Umaga.

“He started on the wing for New Zealand and ended up at No 12,” said Banahan. “He had a lot of skills which gave him an opportunity to play in a variety of positions at international level. I was given an opportunity last season at Bath and enjoyed it because there is more involvement and more decision-making.

“At the start of this season I was paired with Shontayne and jumped at the chance. I’ve lived with him pretty much for the last three months. We enjoy playing together and it’s exciting when you trust somebody so much.”

A verdict is still to be delivered on a non-kicking inside-centre – Hape – but Johnson already knows there is more to Banahan than a rampaging behemoth. For one thing, he has soft hands which give him genuine dexterity and creativity.

“He is a deceptive player,” said Johnson. “His physical size is obvious but he also has skills that people perhaps underestimate. We wanted to play him at outside-centre when we were in Australia in June.”

It did not happen because Banahan, 23, was suspended for a dangerous tackle on Berrick Barnes in the second Australian Barbarians game, which Barnes has since told him was perfectly legitimate.

That may not quite be the physicality Johnson is looking for but it does indicate what he feels Banahan can bring, having already shifted position once from lock – Johnson’s own position – to wing.

Banahan himself considers playing in the centre not too different from the wing. “Many of the moves bring you into the middle anyway,” he said. “I don’t want just to be standing out on the wing. In back divisions nowadays you have to be able to move around.”

Outside-centre can be the most exposed position on the field defensively and in a conscious attempt to improve his manoeuvrability Banahan has shed almost a stone – he now weighs in at 17st – since he last played for England a year ago.

“I know there’s a massive year ahead with the World Cup and I want to give myself the best opportunity to play there,” he said. “To play in the centre I need to be fitter and far more robust than I was.

“I am lighter but have never felt stronger. I didn’t just want to be a heavy lump but the very best rugby player I can be.”‘He has skills that people underestimate’